St Vincent De Paul Roman Catholic Church - Holiday Florida

Father, for the strength you have given me I thank you. For the health you have blessed me with, I thank you. For the women who are going through breast cancer and their families I ask you to strengthen and to heal as you see fit. Lord we know you want us to be in good health and to prosper. Lord use us to do the work you have for us to do. For we know time is getting short on this earth. Lord be with every woman who is sick and encourage them as only you can. I know ...

Reading 1: Galatians 2:19-20, Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 127:1-5, Gospel: Matthew 16:24-27

Image: Saint John Damaskinos | unknown

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Saint of the Day for December 4

(c. 676 -749)

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Saint John Damascene’s Story

John spent most of his life in the Monastery of Saint Sabas near Jerusalem, and all of his life under Muslim rule, indeed protected by it.

He was born in Damascus, received a classical and theological education, and followed his father in a government position under the Arabs. After a few years, he resigned and went to the Monastery of Saint Sabas.

He is famous in three areas:

First, he is known for his writings against the iconoclasts, who opposed the veneration of images. Paradoxically, it was the Eastern Christian emperor Leo who forbade the practice, and it was because John lived in Muslim territory that his enemies could not silence him.

Second, he is famous for his treatise, Exposition of the Orthodox Faith, a summary of the Greek Fathers, of which he became the last. It is said that this book is for Eastern schools what the Summa of Aquinas became for the West.

Third, he is known as a poet, one of the two greatest of the Eastern Church, the other being Romanus the Melodist. His devotion to the Blessed Mother and his sermons on her feasts are well known.

Saint John Damascene's liturgical feast is celebrated on April 30.

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Reflection

John defended the Church’s understanding of the veneration of images and explained the faith of the Church in several other controversies. For over 30 years, he combined a life of prayer with these defenses and his other writings. His holiness expressed itself in putting his literary and preaching talents at the service of the Lord.

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Isabel Vaughan-Spruce, the woman who faced arrest on two occasions for engaging in silent prayer outside U.K. abortion clinics, has received an official police apology and assurance that she will not be charged for violating a local "buffer zone" protection order. While she has vowed to return to the clinic to continue her prayers, Vaughan-Spruce expressed concerns about the implications of her treatment for fundamental freedoms in the United Kingdom.

Reading 1: 1 Timothy 6:2-12, Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 49:6-10, Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 49:17-20, Gospel: Luke 8:1-3

While speaking in Marseille, France, Pope Francis made a compelling plea for humanity to confront a pivotal choice in the face of the ongoing migrant crisis. Speaking at a memorial dedicated to the memory of those lost at sea, the Pope emphasized the urgent need to prioritize fraternity over indifference.

Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, has broken his silence following reports of a Vatican meeting earlier this month, where discussions allegedly took place regarding his potential resignation. Strickland clarified that he has not been officially contacted by the Vatican on this matter and asserted his commitment to his role as the bishop of Tyler.

Mother of Perpetual Help, today we face so many difficulties. Your picture tells us so much about you. It reminds us to reach out and help those in need. Help us understand that our lives belong to others as much as they belong to us. Mary, Model of Christian love, we know we cannot heal every ill or solve every problem. But with God's grace, we intend to do what we can. May we be true witnesses to the world that love for one another really matters. May our daily actions proclaim how fully ...

Cardinal Gerhard Muller, the former Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, has voiced his unwavering support for Bishop Joseph Strickland of Tyler, Texas, advising the bishop against resignation.

Everyday a thousand people die from gunshot wounds, and three times as many people are severely injured. "If the death, injury and disability resulting from small arms were categorized as a disease, it would qualify as an epidemic," said Rebecca Peters, former director of International Action Network on Small Arms.